May the Grace be with You

This week I made six Star Wars movies. Well, they weren’t actual movies, more like short video clips riffing on the theme of Hyper-Grace. Here’s the first one:

Why did I make these clips this week? Because today is Star Wars Day, of course, and “May the Fourth be with you.” Geddit?

I am reminded of Star Wars when I think of the reaction some have to the hyper-grace message. On the one side you have this controlling institution called Religion (a.k.a. the Galactic Empire) that oppresses people and on the other you have a group of freedom lovers operating in the mysterious power of grace (the force).

In one of the original Star Wars opening crawls, there is a line I like: “There are heroes on both sides.” I copied this line for Episode 3 because there are good people on both sides. We are not fighting against flesh and blood but against religious principalities that have captured the hearts and minds of people that Jesus died for.

I made six clips altogether and my favorite is Episode 4. This is the one where I identify 20 hyper-grace preachers. Some of these guys are famous; others may be people you haven’t heard of. I only listed 20 preachers because I didn’t want this to turn into some Lord of the Rings saga that drags on for nine hours.

When I posted Episode 4 on Facebook, people wrote in with dozens and dozens of preachers that I had missed. I thought this was quite exciting. A few years ago you would’ve had a hard time identifying five or ten grace preachers but now there are hundreds putting their hands up and secretly wishing they’d made it into this clip.

If you like these clips and want to show them at your church or discussion group, you should probably download them before YouTube realizes I used John William’s music without giving him a share of the profits. (There are no profits! Mr. Williams, you could have them all if there were.) Seriously, it’s only a matter of time before YouTube ruins these clips by muting the audio track, so if you want them, download them today. Here are three ways you can do that.

Speaking of unauthorized music, there is a young man here in New Zealand called Stan Walker who can sing like you wouldn’t believe. I pinched part of his Amazing Grace for the final episode. I recommend you check him out.

Star Wars endures because it portrays the timeless themes of good versus evil, the need for friends, the universal desire to be free, and the search for fathers. Jedi Knights drawing upon the mysterious power of the force are not unlike believers drawing on the mysterious power of grace:

Luke Skywalker: May the force be with you.”
Apostle Paul: “Grace and peace be with you.”

Hmm. Maybe I should write a book called the The Star Wars Gospel. That could be fun. I’d definitely pack it full of pop-culture references and groanworthy puns. I like puns and I put a few in these clips. (Did you spot them?) Mix Star Wars with Hyper Grace and you’ll come up with plays-on-words, like these suggested by Facebook friends:

Chris Esparza: “The Grace is strong with this one.”
Makala Doulos channeling Yoda: “A perimeter around the truth, create!”
Richard Williamson referring to dead religion: “May the farce no longer be with us!”

What Star Wars puns can you come up with? In honor of the occasion, why not send us your best ones below:

I don’t see the comments about all the Grace preachers you might have missed, but Steve McVey? Really?? I honestly want to know if there was a reason, or if you just forgot, because Jesus led me to Steve, and Steve led me to you…via Amazon, of course.

Amazing, creative, and out of this world 😉 You reinforce my new thinking that those
that are locked into what’s between table of contents and maps…Darth Religion, lack creativity and imagination that Grace… I mean Hyper Grace teachers, and other non-religious believers are able to express their unlimited potential in so many different ways…who are free by encountering and experiencing Papa God on a daily basis. Needless to say…your a blessing and refreshing drink of Living Water.
Ken

Good stuff! Paul, you have been very instrumental in advancing the gospel with simplicity and courage. I really admire your creativity in the Star War like grace episodes. Cheers and greater grace to you, in Christ Jesus
Warm Regards
McDaniels Gyamfi

“You do not know the power of My Grace! Your Sunday-school teacher never told you what really happened on the Cross! Join Me, and together we will rule eternity as Father and son! Come to the Grace side! Do not resist, my son, it is your destiny!”

Bless you all Grace walkers. It’s awesome to see and hear what the Parakletos (the other one of the same quality and who walks along our side to assist us) is being doing thru lives who walked under the veil of religion and now under the life style of the Kingdom of grace and using the Rhema the illuminating saber of the Pneuma to bring freedom to all For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

Hahahaha! ROTFL I’ve been laughing hysterically for two days. Vids are so joyful and Krish’s comments only add more. After years of being trapped by the God-As-Killjoy graceless religious empire that caused me to run away from God, its so nice to belong to a joyful Christ centered Christianity.

Hi Paul, I only recently discovered Pastor Bertie Brits through “Episode 4”. I don’t think you have done a review on his book yet, but I would highly recommend it. The name of his book is “Born From Innocence”, and to my knowledge, it’s only available through his website. Thank you, Paul, for introducing me to Pastor Bertie’s amazing teaching. Blessings

Love this!So much truth to it.I had to post it. I pray people would get it. I had posted how excited I was in ordering your book The Hyper Grace Gospel. A friend said be careful she went on and on. I don’t ever want to go back to that way of living under the law. I was miserable. Growing in my new found freedom. Thank-you Jesus. Anyways your book came in and I am truly enjoying it. May the Grace be with YOU! 🙂

I loved these videos last year when you posted them 🙂 One thing is missing, though: where are the girls? There are certainly lots of great hyper-grace guys, but the “grace girls” are out here! And believe me – if you knew my story, you would know that the mixed-gospel Gestapo does not open doors for ladies. Rather, they use short range matching guns on us. Thank God for the bullet proof breastplate of righteousness!!

Haha! I keep asking myself, “Where are the women?!” In my little world, I am one, and I am inspiring others because women are the ones to deliver any grassroots message. Women love to gather in groups and study the Bible and invite their friends, so teaching Bible studies is my ministry. My book is “Unveiling Jesus.” Here is “My Story” that I shared at Clark Whitten’s church recently where I held a women’s conference: . Clark is my dear friend and pastor from afar who has helped me immensely, particularly in processing catastrophic personal consequences for preaching the message of grace. After my eyes were opened to the finished work of the cross a few years ago, I began to share the Good News in the ministry I oversaw in the [MEGA] church where I was on the pastoral staff. There was an “earthquake” because grace messed with the system! Grace was rejected, along with me and my family, but once my eyes were opened, I couldn’t UNsee what I had seen!

If I I exist, I know there are many other women pioneers in the grace revolution! One who comes to mind is Connie Witter with “Because of Jesus Ministries”. Another who has written a book called “I Tried until I Almost Died” is Joyce Myer’s daughter, Sandra McCollum. Her ministry is called “Relax in God’s Love”.

I have always been in a hate love relation with star was, since I am a Christian nerd. I do not like the fact that is is brainwashing the young with the occult. But Greater is He that is in US! You are taking it back! FOR the Grace Rebels! What better way to beat the the Dark side! Love your puns and sense of humor. I and other Christians need to lighten up a bit, and with Grace this is possible. A sense of humor is healing. Keep it up Paul and maybe you are on to something big in the parable of The HyperGrace Wars, I for one humble Gedi, think the droids would tremble at a new book.